May 18, 2018 | Airlines, American, Departments, Home, Organizing, The Association
Brothers and Sisters,
American Airlines recently changed course by contacting the TWU-IAM Association leadership seeking dates to discuss minor issues that remain open in our negotiations. The Association views all discussions between us and the company as important to achieving our goal of a tentative agreement. For this reason, the TWU-IAM Association Negotiating Committees have agreed to send a small group of committee members to meet with American Airlines on June 11th and 12th to discuss these outstanding issues.
Regretfully, however, we are still in dispute. American Airlines management continues to disrespect Association members by refusing to negotiate the components of our contracts that will impact our lives and our families most of all.
The Association’s priority is to reach a fair agreement with the industry’s most profitable carrier that brings true work protections, leads the industry in compensation, provides the retirement security Association members deserve, more fairly shares the profits we help generate, and preserves the healthcare choices brought to American Airlines through its merger with US Airways.
Fraternally,
Your Association Negotiating Committee
May 9, 2018 | Airlines, American, Home, The Association
Since American management walked out of talks in late March, the TWU-IAM Association mechanic and related, stores and fleet service negotiating committees have been fully prepared to resume joint contract bargaining and bring these negotiations to a successful conclusion. Instead of making a good faith effort to to reach a fair agreement with 30,000 American Airlines ground workers and get back to work, American management has opted to conduct company-controlled road-shows in an attempt to bypass your negotiating committees. This diversion only serves to prolong the process and prevent Association members from reaping the benefits of a fair joint contract.
“Enough is enough. Association members have waited long enough for a fair joint contract,” said Alex Garcia and Sito Pantoja, Association Chair and Vice Chair, respectively. “The Association has been ready to resume talks since American management walked out of negotiations, but the Company seems more interested in holding their corporate side-shows than they are in reaching a fair agreement. Each day that American management refuses to negotiate is a slap in the face of 30,000 workers.”
In late March, talks broke down as American Airlines Executive Vice President Stephen Johnson—who had never before been in negotiations—stormed out of the room because the Association rejected American’s proposals regarding medical and retirement benefits, wages, scope/job security and profit sharing, which were wholly inadequate.
“We are deeply concerned over American’s refusal to negotiate and their seeming attempt to bend Association members to their will,” continued Garcia and Pantoja. “Make no mistake, we will not bend to American’s will, we stand ready to negotiate and we are fully prepared to mobilize the Association’s significant resources and bring this process to a conclusion that provides 30,000 Association members a fair joint contact that they can be proud of.”
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Apr 5, 2018 | Airlines, American, Home, The Association
Brother and Sisters,
The TWU-IAM Association is committed to achieving on American Airlines an industry-best contract that will benefit all Association members and, consequently, be the benchmark for future airline contract negotiations. The five main issues that remain in our negotiations with American are: scope (protecting our work and jobs), affordable healthcare, meaningful profit sharing, retirement and wages.
In their latest scope proposal, the company insisted on outsourcing at least 5,000 jobs, spanning all classifications. Simply put, without protecting your jobs and the work you do, your livelihood is in danger and every other benefit gained in negotiations is useless. Their fake scope proposal is unacceptable and disrespectful.
The company’s healthcare proposal offers only the more expensive healthcare plans with inferior benefits and zero limits on future cost increases The Association negotiating committee demands that the company offer the richer Legacy U.S. Airways plans to all Association members. All Association members should have access to the best health insurance plans and we will not allow the company to eliminate those plans.
Despite American’s CEO admitting that other airlines have better profit sharing, the company’s latest proposal is clearly insufficient. They refuse to improve your profit sharing and believe they shouldn’t fairly share the industry-leading profits that Association members generated. The Association will not let up in obtaining the value that the industry’s best profit sharing plan will provide to all Association members.
In the company’s proposal on retirement, American is trying to transfer as much retirement risk away from them and towards you. Their offer even comes up short against its own internal standards. Without any self-contribution required, American Flight Attendants currently receive a maximum 401(k) company contribution of 9.9% while the pilots receive 16%. The Association negotiating committee will not allow the company to unnecessarily shift risk to you nor will we allow them to treat our members like second-class citizens.
While job security is the most important piece of any collective bargaining agreement, the Association negotiating committee is aware the Company is trying to fool us with their wage proposal. The company claims their current proposal is industry-leading, but is it really? Is it industry-leading if United wage rates surpass yours in less than a year? Is it industry-leading if you are paying more for healthcare or if your counterparts at United and Delta make thousands of dollars more in profit sharing every year? Of course not. The Association agrees that cash compensation is important, and when we have an agreement we will have industry-leading rates.
The Association will continue fighting to raise the standards by which we work and live. We will fight to own our work, we will fight to get our just compensation and we will fight to share in the record profits and growth that we generate for American Airlines. Each airline negotiation lays the foundation for the future and the TWU-IAM Association will not capitulate to American’s regressive proposal.
Fraternally,
Your Association Negotiating Committee
Apr 4, 2018 | Airlines, American, Home, The Association
Message to American Airlines:
While the TWU-IAM Association patiently waits for American to contact us, we encourage them to offer Association members the Early Out package they are promising. Don’t wait. Do it now. The Company can do that now or anytime. An Early Out package is not tied to our joint contract negotiations. American, you have our permission, but rest assured, we will not sacrifice or give up anything to pay for this.
Do the right thing, don’t make the members wait.
Fraternally,
Your Association Negotiating Committee
